The invention relates generally to agricultural metering on air carts, and, more specifically, to a modular metering system for a meter box.
A range of agricultural implements have been developed and are presently in use for tilling, planting, harvesting, and so forth. Seeders, for example, are commonly towed behind tractors and may cover wide swaths of ground which may be tilled or untilled. Such devices typically open the soil, dispense seeds in the soil opening, and re-close the soil in a single operation. In seeders, seeds are commonly dispensed from bulk seed tanks and distributed to row units by a distribution system. In certain configurations, air carts are towed behind the seeders to deliver a desired flow of seeds to the row units.
Air carts generally include a seed storage tank, an air source (e.g., a blower) and a metering system. The seeds are typically gravity fed from the storage tank to the metering system that distributes a desired volume of seeds into an air flow generated by the air source. The air flow then carries the seeds to the row units via conduits extending between the air cart and the seeder. The metering system typically includes meter rollers or other metering devices that regulate the flow of seeds based on meter roller geometry and rotation rate. Typically, meter rollers employ a series of flutes and recesses to control the flow of seeds. For a variety of reasons, an operator may desire to remove and/or insert meter rollers in the metering system. For instance, an operator may desire to install one meter roller with a first geometry for one seed type, and install a different meter roller with a different geometry for a different seed type.
However, meter rollers are frequently difficult to remove, insert, or replace. Moreover, a drive system may be coupled to the meter roller making it more difficult to remove and reinstall a meter roller. The difficulty removing, inserting, and/or replacing meter rollers can increase the duration of plating operations.